


Arthur Shappey, or Arthur's happy

by Lothiriel84



Series: Let's Talk About Me [1]
Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Gen, Meta, Nonfiction, Spoilers for Episode: Zurich
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-16 15:39:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4630782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lothiriel84/pseuds/Lothiriel84
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur Gordon Shappey and the quest for happiness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All transcripts are courtesy of Ariane DeVere.

> Mr Sargent: You’re an idiot.  
>  Arthur: I know! That’s why I’m worried! 
> 
> -  _Ipswich_  -

I know that scene is supposed to be funny. It kind of is, in a way; but if I have to be completely honest, I find it more hearbreaking than funny.

And you know why? Because Arthur is so used to being called an idiot that he doesn’t even bat an eyelid, he simply acknowledges it as a well known fact. His tone indicates that he’s not offended in the slightest, it’s just one of the things that he is and he has no problem accepting it. 

(Not at this moment in time anyway. I’m not sure I want to dwell on his childhood, with Gordon being so very much not-brilliant to him all the time.)

Now, Arthur isn’t as stupid as the rest of the world seems to believe. Yes, he does forget things, and he doesn’t think the way most people do - but he’s also the one who happens to point out things that should have been obvious and yet nobody else had remembered to take into account. 

> Arthur: Sorry, it’s probably obvious, because I’m a clot, but, um, when we land, how are we getting the piano from the airfield to the pub?  
>  Martin: Oh.  
>  Douglas: …Ah. 
> 
> -  _Ottery St Mary_  -

I think it’s quite safe to say that when Douglas and Martin call him a clot, they mean it in an affectionate sort of way; however, I’m not sure it’s completely fair of them to keep stressing how much Arthur is not good at things, especially since they too make Arthur-like mistakes throughout the whole series (Douglas in this very episode, when he misplaces the van keys and then proceeds to blame it on Arthur.)

And while Arthur doesn’t mind being called a clot - well, he doesn’t really know the word, but I guess he must have worked out the meaning after a while - he actually minds when other people say he’s useless at something. Even if he only reacts with a ‘hey, I can do it!’ rather than truly getting upset.

But I’m losing the thread of my remarks. My point is, Arthur can be a big help to his friends if only they stop regarding him as a complete idiot, something is clearly shown in at least two different scenes of  _Zurich_.

> Arthur  _(slowly)_ : It’s all right, though … Dad.  
>  Douglas  _(normal accent)_ : Arthur …  
>  Arthur  _(slowly)_ : … because I’ve got  _my_  ID.  
>  Douglas: Arthur, Code Red.  
>  Arthur: No! Not Code Red! Listen: because if you’re Gordon Shappey, and I’m your son … which I am, and … oh, no! Er, wait! Um …  
>  _(He breaks into his mangled Australian accent.)_  
>  Arthur  _(Australian-ish accent)_ : … what I’m tryin’a say is this: I’ve got  _my_  droiving licence roight here, sport. Er, here’s my name on it, er, ‘Arthur Gordon Shippee’ and if I say that he’s m’dad, surely …  
>  Douglas  _(Australian accent)_ : Oh yeah! Er, there you go, then, that’s my son’s ID and he vouches for me. That do you? 
> 
> […]
> 
> Douglas: Yes. So, it must be something that’s somehow big  _and_  small at the same time. What’s big and small at the same time?  
>  Arthur: The Great Wall of China!  
>  Douglas: Ooh! Of  _course_!  
>  Arthur: Ah, finally. About time.  
>  Douglas: Thank you, Arthur! Look! 
> 
> -  _Zurich_  part 2 -

Of course Arthur wouldn’t be Arthur if he didn’t do something a bit over the top like doing his terrible Australian accent; but he’s the one who comes up with the perfect solution to the ID issue, just like Martin is the one who suggests throwing in his old van (with the incredibly expensive brake pads Arthur had very cleverly accidentally bought) in lieu of payment for GERTI.

He’s also the one who remembers their previous discussions about the Great Wall of China, thus suggesting Douglas the key to the riddle that is GERTI’s hidden treasure. Which means that Arthur can be incredibly helpful so long as other people start properly listening to him and giving him at least the benefit of the doubt - just like Martin can be decisive and resourceful once he stops second-guessing himself and his skills. 

So I’m going to end this first part with a little nugget of wisdom that John Finnemore himself has given us through another of his excellent shows, aka  _John Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme._

**‘Two Things To Do Before Or After You’re 30. One: be kind, two: have fun.’**


	2. Chapter 2

> Douglas: No, Arthur; you are cheery. No-one’s interested in the secret of true cheeriness.  
> Arthur: No, that’s not true. I’m fairly often just completely happy. Like, for instance, when you get into a bath quickly and it’s just the right temperature, and you go …  _(blissfully)_  … ‘Ohhhh!’ I mean, no-one really gets any happier than that.  
> Martin: What a depressing thought.  
> Arthur: No! No, it’s not, though! Because those sort of things happen all the time, whereas you’re hardly ever – you know – blissfully happy with the love of your life in the moonlight; and when you are, you’re too busy worrying about it being over soon. Whereas the bath moments – there’s loads of those! 
> 
> -  _Fitton_  -

Arthur’s attitude towards life is probably the most fascinating thing about his character. People call him an idiot all the time, and yet that does nothing to dampen his spirits; he’s always his cheerful self, and while Douglas and Martin may not believe him I’m sure he is in fact fairly often just completely happy. 

Most people may laugh at his words, dismissing them as the babbling of a half-wit who knows nothing about life.  _Of course_  happiness must be about life-changing events, the sort of things that is very hard or almost impossible to reach; you simply  _can’t_  be happy until you get your dream job, find the love of your life, and so on. 

Or can you?

To quote a line from  _John Finnemore’s Sovenir Programme_ , Arthur might be close to finding the file that explains the meaning of life. Finding your happiness in tossing an apple - or playing Yellow Car, because I’m fairly sure that’s what the game is truly about - is far from depressing or stupid; as Arthur himself points out those sort of things happen all the time, which means you’ll be at least a little bit happy most of the time. 

Arthur is giving us a precious nugget of wisom here:  _you’re hardly ever blissfully happy with the love of your life in the moonlight; and when you are, you’re too busy worrying about it being over soon._  Therefore, why wait for this hypothetical love of your life to be happy? Why not start being a tiny bit happy today? 

(You may replace ‘love of your life’ with any other item of your bucket list, but it doesn’t make the statement any less true.)

On a related note, I may say that  _Cabin Pressure_  and  _John Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme_  are my equivalent of Arthur’s bath at just the right temperature. I’m fairly often just completely happy when I listen to either of them; and not only that, but every random reference to anything even remotely related to either show has the power to bring a warm smile to my face even when I’m beyond tired, or upset for some reason.

I think it’s better being a little bit happy (almost) every day rather than spending your life in the pursuit of something that may never happen, or be over before you know it. And even if you’re determined to follow your dreams, it doesn’t hurt finding a reason to smile each time you happen to see a yellow car.


	3. Chapter 3

> Arthur: Hi, Mum, Herc, Theresa! Dad dropped in. He’s off now, probably. Oh, and you know you said we couldn’t expect a fairytale ending?  
>  Carolyn: Yes.  
>  Arthur: It turns out GERTI’s partly made of gold. 
> 
> -  _Zurich_  part 2 -

If I had to select a scene that summarises Arthur perfectly, I think I’d probably choose this one - and for two separate reasons.

The first reason is the way he delivers his line. Arthur has just been lied to by his own father, who promised earlier he was telling the truth  _by quoting what sounds like a nursery rhyme he himself taught Arthur when he was a kid._ To add insult to injury, Gordon clearly showed that he considers his son a complete fool who wouldn’t even remember  _his granmother’s name_ despite having actually met her. 

And yet, now that he’s finally proved that he’s not that much of a fool - and also received proof positive that he was right in trusting Douglas all along - he doesn’t seem to hold a grudge against his poor excuse for a father. The happy ending he’s been hoping for all along is coming true, his childlike faith in life has somehow been rewarded; whatever happened before that doesn’t really matter anymore, all the negatives immediately forgotten in favour of present happiness.

(I’m not saying Arthur is never going to stop and think about the way he’s been let down by his biological father, and maybe be a bit sad about it; but knowing him, I’m pretty sure he would bounce back quite quickly even if he did.)

That’s another thing that’s absolutely remarkable of Arthur. He never seems to hold any grudges; he doesn’t mind other people considering him an idiot so long as they respect the fact that he’s more than just his wits, whatever they may be. 

Even more importantly,  _he’s not afraid of being judged by other people._ He’s probably the only character that is just being himself throughout the whole series; partly because ‘that’s the one he knows’, but I think it’s mainly related to the fact that he doesn’t care what other people think of him the way everyone else at MJN Air does. 

Martin is desperate to prove that he’s just as good as anyone else; Douglas that he’s this unflappable sky god who’s good at anything; Carolyn that she’s not in any way vulnerable or soppy. 

Arthur is simply… Arthur. He has long accepted that he’s not as smart as most people, and he doesn’t mind; he would never stop himself from doing or saying something for fear of making a fool of himself, and therefore gets to have more fun than anyone else.

But I mentioned two reasons at the beginning of this part, and I still owe you one. The last one is a bit weird, if you want, but I believe that doesn’t make it less true.

In my opinion, Arthur is a lot like GERTI. Neither of them is all that impressive if you judge by appearances alone: GERTI is a knackered old plane, and Arthur is a dimwit who doesn’t have a real job and still lives with his mum.

However, if you look closely enough you’ll discover that what they truly have in common is that they both have a heart of gold.


End file.
